Get to know Jianyang
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- Administrative area
- County-level city · 县级市
- Part of
- Chengdu
- Chinese name
- 简阳市
- Local areas
- County-level city guide
Area & population
- Area in the source
- 2,215.00 km²
- Population · 2020 census
- 1,117,265
- Administrative seat
- Shehongba Subdistrict
Source: cited geographic source, as of the dates shown.
Setting and landscape
The Longquan range runs northeast to southwest across the northwest of the city and forms a natural divide from central Chengdu, which earned Jianyang the old name "eastern gate of the Shu capital" (蜀都东大门). Hills cover 88.1 percent of the land. The Jiangxi (绛溪河) and Huanxi (环溪河) rivers flow into the Tuo, and two reservoirs dug after 1949, Sancha Lake (三岔湖) and Longquan Lake (龙泉湖), lie at the foot of the Longquan Mountains.
History
Niubei County (牛鞞县) was set up here in 115 BC. In 555 it was renamed Yang'an (阳安县) after a local mountain, and in 603 the Sui created Jianzhou (简州), named after the Laijian Pool (赖简池). In 1913 Jianzhou became Jianyang County, a name joining the first characters of Jianzhou and Yang'an. The county became a city in 1994 and passed from Ziyang to Chengdu's administration on 12 May 2016.
What to see
The Shengde Temple Pagoda (圣德寺塔) is the city's only major national protected site; as "one pagoda soaring to the clouds" it heads the old Eight Views of Jianzhou. Danjing Mountain (丹景山), at 974 m, is the second-highest peak of the Longquan range. Jianyang's red and white pagodas (简阳红白塔) and the Changlingshan cliff carvings (长岭山摩崖造像) are provincial protected sites.
Food and local products
Jianyang mutton soup (简阳羊肉汤) is made from the large-eared goat (大耳羊), a big, lean breed. China Radio International reports that in 2008 it was chosen among 30 national healthy dishes for the Olympics, the only soup among them based on mutton, and that in 2015 it became the first soup in China to hold a national geographical-indication certification mark. Building on the soup, Jianyang has developed more than a hundred mutton dishes, from mutton sausage to air-dried mutton, and a full mutton banquet (羊肉全席).
Other dishes counted among Jianyang's "nine dining specialities" (餐饮九绝) include pea soup (豌豆汤), Yueying cold jelly noodles (月英凉粉), Jiang's braised goose (蒋卤鹅) and Yunlong crisp pastries (云龙水酥). The city also grows citrus, honey peaches and cherries.
Getting oriented
The Chengdu-Chongqing railway stops at Jianyang station and the Chengdu-Chongqing passenger line at Jianyang South. Chengdu Metro Line 18 (成都地铁18号线) links Chengdu South railway station with Tianfu airport, which opened on 27 June 2021.
Highlights
- Jianyang mutton soup 简阳羊肉汤: Made from large-eared goat; in 2015 the first soup in China with a geographical-indication certification mark.
- Shengde Temple Pagoda 圣德寺塔: The city's major national protected site and the first of the Eight Views of Jianzhou.
- Danjing Mountain 丹景山: 974 m, second-highest peak of the Longquan Mountains.
- Sancha Lake 三岔湖: Reservoir at the foot of the Longquan Mountains.
Sources for this guide
简阳市 - 维基百科，自由的百科全书 · Wikipedia (Chinese) · CC BY-SA 4.0
海外华文媒体走进成都简阳品鉴特色美食羊肉汤 - 国际在线 · China Radio International (CRI Online)
Original English written from the listed sources and checked sentence by sentence against quoted extracts by a separate reviewer. Updated 2026-09-25.
Explore Jianyang
Core places to explore, with English and Chinese names.
Places to explore around Jianyang
AI illustration · AI 示意图（仅供参考，非该地点实拍）Shengde Temple White Pagoda圣德寺白塔
Shengde Temple’s White Pagoda is a surviving Southern Song landmark in Jianyang. The temple itself has disappeared, leaving the tower as the main historic object to study. Its square plan, tall base and densely layered eaves…
Read the place guide →
Jianyang Aoshan Park · 简阳鳌山公园Jianyang Aoshan Park简阳鳌山公园
Aoshan Park follows the hills beside Jianyang’s eastern urban district. Yinao Pavilion is the visible architectural landmark, a modern structure designed to recall traditional pavilion forms. The surrounding paths and viewpoints…
Read the place guide →
The dam causeway at Sancha Lake reservoir in Jianyang, Chengdu, with hills in the distance · 成都简阳三岔湖堤坝公路，远处山峦 Source-recorded photograph date: 23 March 2014 (original upload date).Sancha Lake三岔湖
Sancha Lake is a broad reservoir landscape of wooded islands and branching shorelines in eastern Chengdu. Boat trips from Ma’anshan pier provide one way to understand the islands, while water-sport centres offer separate…
Read the place guide →Local life & food
Jianyang local specialties
简阳市特色美食 · 1 specialties to discover
Jianyang mutton soup 简阳羊肉汤AI illustration · AI 示意图
The soup is deeply savory with a clear mutton character, while the dip lets diners add heat without changing the whole pot. Lean and fatty cuts create different bites.
Source ↗Read the dish guide →All dish names · 全部菜名 (1)
More dishes from across Sichuan are in the Sichuan food guide.
Plan your visit
Getting there
Jianyang is about 55 km in a straight line from central Chengdu. Search for 简阳市 in a map app to find stations and your accommodation.
Where to stay →Build your route
Shengde Temple White Pagoda and Jianyang Aoshan Park are about 4 km apart in a straight line. The linked place guides have entrance and visit details.
Continue with Chengdu →More in Chengdu
Sources & geographic information
Administrative names and parent areas: Official geographic directory · Reference date 2026-09-06.
Some facts checked against 简阳市 — Wikipedia contributors, CC BY-SA 4.0.
Photo: Jianyang Aoshan Park · Source photographer · License not provided. EXIF orientation normalized; resized without changing aspect ratio; converted to WebP. No subject edits.
Photo: Sancha Lake · cyclistpzx · CC BY 3.0. Full frame retained; proportionally resized and converted to WebP. No retouching or changes to the photographed subject. Card displays may crop the view.
Map data © OpenStreetMap contributors. Pins mark approximate centres, not entrances or boundaries.